The Milwaukee Brewers will close out July and open August with a visit to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this weekend, as the Brewers face their first interleague opponent in over a month. After dropping two of three to the Giants by the Bay, the Crew will look to bounce back as they wrap up their road trip in SoCal. The Angels, on the other hand, have had another dismal season (42-67, tied with Colorado for worst record in baseball) despite a few solid pieces on the roster. They’re expected to move several of those pieces at the trade deadline, so we’ll see what happens this weekend with the deadline set for Monday evening.
Milwaukee’s injured list currently consists of pitchers DL Hall (close to returning), Kyle Harrison (expected to make next start in the majors), Joel Kuhnel (early August), Rob Zastryzny (August), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). Outfielders Brandon Lockridge (on rehab assignment) and Sal Frelick (early to mid-August) should also be returning in the next couple of weeks.
The Angels are currently without pitchers Yusei Kikuchi (mid-August), Ben Joyce (could return this weekend), Robert Stephenson (out for season), and Jack Kochanowicz (out for season). On the position player side, utility infielder Adam Frazier is on a rehab assignment and is expected to return as soon as next week, catcher Sebastián Rivero is slated for an early August return, and Known Baseball Lover Anthony Rendon, who had surgery just as the season was beginning, is expected to retire.
The Brewers have one of the more balanced offenses in baseball at this point in the season, with Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich, Andrew Vaughn, and rookies Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara all contributing regularly. Joey Ortiz has also shown signs of improvement over the last month or so, and Gary Sánchez still has plenty of power in the tank. David Hamilton and Blake Perkins round things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .255/.337/.400 (.737 OPS ranks sixth), with 98 homers (last), 546 runs scored (fifth), and 107 steals (fifth).
Zach Neto, Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler anchor the Angels’ offense, as all four have double-digit homers this year. Tyler Heineman, Nolan Schanuel, Oswald Peraza, Denzer Guzman, and Josh Lowe are the other regulars, with Jose Siri, Wade Meckler, Vaughn Grissom, and Travis d’Arnaud rounding things out after the team traded catcher Logan O’Hoppe earlier this week. As a team, the Angels are hitting .239/.315/.386 (.701 OPS ranks 24th), with 116 homers (21st), 464 runs scored (20th), and 56 steals (tied for 21st).
Aaron Ashby continues to set the pace with 51 appearances for Milwaukee’s bullpen, spanning 60 2/3 innings with 83 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA. Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, and Chad Patrick have been the other “A” bullpen arms, with Craig Yoho, Bryse Wilson, and Grant Anderson filling things out as the Brewers currently have six arms in the rotation with the latest call-up of Thomas Pannone. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.51 team ERA (second), including a 3.38 starter ERA (second) and a 3.68 bullpen ERA (sixth). They’ve struck out 1,047 batters (second) over 965 2/3 innings.
Top reliever Chase Silseth was sent to the Rangers in the O’Hoppe deal this week, leaving the Angels without a clear top arm. Samy Natera Jr. leads the ‘pen with a 2.08 ERA over 21 2/3 innings this year, while Ryan Zeferjahn (3.78 ERA), Kirby Yates (3.76 ERA), and José Fermin (2.67 ERA) have also been solid. Former Brewer Legend Brent Suter (4.26 over 61 1/3 innings) hasn’t been quite as sharp this year, and Sam Bachman (4.26 ERA) and Mitch Farris (4.17 ERA) round things out. As a staff, the Angels have a 4.54 team ERA (24th), including a 4.67 starter ERA (26th) and a 4.40 bullpen ERA (24th). They’ve struck out 971 batters (eighth) over 960 1/3 innings.
Friday, July 31 @ 8:38 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (5-4, 3.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP) vs. RHP Ryan Johnson (2-5, 7.34 ERA, 6.28 FIP)
Drohan continues to have a solid rookie season, but he is coming off his worst start of the year against the Rockies. While he has a 3.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP, and 82 strikeouts over 82 frames, he went six innings with a season-high five runs allowed on six hits and a pair of walks last Friday. The lefty has gone at least six innings in each of his last four starts, though. This marks his first career appearance against the Halos.
Johnson, 24 next week, is another fast-tracked player for the Angels, as he was drafted in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft before making his debut last year with 14 relief appearances. He’s made 11 appearances (eight starts) this season, and hasn’t yet had much major league success, with a 7.34 ERA, 6.28 FIP, and 34 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings this year. The right-hander got hit hard by the Giants in his last appearance, allowing eight runs on eight hits, a walk, and a hit batter while striking out four over 3 1/3 innings. This marks Johnson’s first career appearance against Milwaukee.
Saturday, August 1 @ 8:38 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (3-4, 4.71 ERA, 4.78 FIP) vs. RHP José Soriano (9-6, 3.29 ERA, 3.80 FIP)
Gasser hasn’t been quite as sharp this year as he was in his brief stints of 2024 and 2025, but he’s shown flashes of his potential. After allowing seven runs across three-plus innings to the Pirates in the last game before the All-Star break, he’s totaled 11 innings with just three runs allowed and nine strikeouts against the Marlins and Rockies in his last two outings. This will also mark Gasser’s first career appearance against the Angels.
Soriano, 27, is a common name in trade rumors, as he’s put together a solid year despite not being quite as fantastic as he was early in the season. Through 22 starts this year, Soriano is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA, 3.80 FIP, and 127 strikeouts over 123 innings, though he has also issued a league-worst 57 walks. He had a solid month of July, making four starts with eight runs allowed (seven earned) and 16 strikeouts over 23 innings (2.74 ERA). Soriano’s lone appearance against the Brewers came last September, when he allowed three runs on two hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings.
Sunday, August 2 @ 2:15 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (11-4, 1.58 ERA, 2.04 FIP) vs. RHP Walbert Ureña (6-7, 2.70 ERA, 3.89 FIP)
Misiorowski continues to dominate opposing teams, and his last start was just another example of that. He struck out the first seven batters of the game and 12 of the first 13 against the Rockies on Sunday en route to his 11th win of the season, allowing just one run on a solo homer. He remains atop the league with a 1.58 ERA, 2.04 FIP, and 185 strikeouts this year. Like Drohan and Gasser, this is Miz’s first career appearance against L.A.
Ureña, 22, is a rookie right-hander who has turned in a solid season. His ERA (2.70) outpaces his FIP (3.89) by more than a full run and he’s made 19 appearances (17 starts) with 88 strikeouts over 93 1/3 innings. He’s looked great in his last four appearance, totaling 21 2/3 innings and allowing just three runs (1.25 ERA) with 19 strikeouts against the Mariners, Rangers, Cardinals, and Astros, though his team has just a 2-2 record to show for it. This marks Ureña first career appearance against Milwaukee.
Friday, July 31: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, August 1: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, August 2: Exclusively on Peacock/NBCSN Extra; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
The Brewers have the advantage on the mound in this series, especially with Misiorowski starting in the series finale. Give me the Brewers to go 2-1 to finish with a .500 road trip in California.